James p



(NoM0d e1.) v

E J. P. WITHVEROW,

AP LIANG EORREGULATING THE-BLAST PRESSURE 0E CONVERTERS. N0. 317.263. Patented May 5, 1885.

WZZLVGSSGS. Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P \VITHEROXV, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPLIANCE FOR REGULATING THE BLAST-PRESSURE OF CONVERTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,263, dated May 5. 1885.

Application filed March 12, 1885.

(No model.)

I0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES I. WITHEROW, of Pittsburg in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improved Appliance for Regulating the Blast-Pressure of Converters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. v

In fixed converters for treating molten metal the tuyeres are usually arranged in the sides below the metal-line, and in such case it is necessary to make provision for preventing the metal from entering the tuyeres, as it would then be liable to chill and stop up the tuyere-holes, necessitating frequent renewals of the tuyeres. For this purpose tuyere-stoppers and valves have .been used, and also a single valve arranged in the blast-main,which was used to reduce the pneumatic pressure to the degree necessary to sustain the ferro-static pressure at the mouths of the tuyeres when the active treatment of the charge was not going on.

There are objections toeach of these methods; and my improvement consists in appliances for regulating the pressure at the tuyeremouths during the operation of the converter by varying the speed of the blast-engine. By my invention I bring the blast-engine directly under the management of the blower, (the person in charge of the converter and thus put the entire operation under one control, insuring greater certainty in the nice operations of the converter. The process in the converter is so rapid and the effects produced so varying that great precision and nicety in detailssucl1 as the pressure of the blast,

length of blow, Ste-are of the greatest importion, and communicates with the converter 1) by a blast-main, c.

Situate at any convenient point in the blastmain is a relief-valve, (l, which, in case the pressure of the blast should exceed that which to relieve the pressure and reduce it to the desired degree.

The blast-main is also fitted with a slidevalve, 6, for the purpose of shutting off the blast to the converter in case of emergency, which is operated by a gear-wheel, e, mounted 011 the'shaft, which carries a pulley, e", which in turn is operated by a belt, 0, extending to a hand-wheel, 6*. Any other suitable devices may be used for this purpose.

Mounted in suitable bearings is a shaft or spindle, f, provided with a l1and-wl1eel, f, at the end nearest the converter 2). This spindle is connected with the stem 9 of the cut-off valve of the blast-engine by means of the shafting and gearing h, or other suitable power-connection devices, whereby the admission of steam to the cylinder of the engine may be controlled by the operation of the hand-wheelf. The hand-wheel f, or other means of manipulation, is arranged at or near the converter b, so as to be under the control of the blower. In this way the management of the blast-engine and the operations of the converter are put under a single control, whereby precision and uniformity are insured, and the danger of the loss and'trouble from confusion of orders or misunderstanding between the managers of these two important parts of the plant are avoided. This arrangement has the further advantage of dispensing with the services of an engineer in the engine-house, if desired. By the manipulation of the hand-wheel f the blower is enabled to regulate the blast both as to volume and pressure at will, and when it is desired to stop the blow he can do it instantly by closing the gate-valve e.. This latter operation does not necessarily involve the stopping of the engine, because as soon as the gate-valve is closed the relief-valve (I will be opened by the pressure and permit the blast to escape into the air.

By my improvement, in which I extend the functions of necessary parts, I am enabled to do away with all valves, stoppers, and other devices for controlling the pressure of the blast at the tuyeres, and to accomplish the same result in a speedy and eiiicient manner by varying the speed of the blast-engine. The whole volume of the blast being directly under the control of the blower, the operations of the converter are not liable to be injuriously affected by any defects which may occur in separate valves at one or more tuyeres while the others are in good working order. The blast being equal at the tuyeres, they are not liable to get out of order or stop up, and the charge of molten metal in the converter will be treated much more uniformly than in the case of separate valves or stoppers for the tuyeres.

I do not herein claim the method of regulating the pressure of the blast at the tuyeres by varying the speed of the blast-engine, for the reason that such method forms the subject-matter of another application; nor do I herein claim a slide or gate valve in connec tion with the main blast for regulating the volume and pressure of the blast in the converter, as such construction forms the subjectmatter of another application.

I have described a line of shafting and gearing as the means of operating the cut-off valve of the engine from the converter; but I do not limit myself thereto, as any other form of power-connections having a positive motion may be used, and is the equivalent for that purpose of shafting and gearing illustrated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a converter having its tuyeres arranged below the metal-line with a blast-engine and its cut-off valve, blast-connections between said engine and converter, and power-connections for operating said out off valve from the vicinity of the converter, substantiallyas and for the purposes described. 2. The combination of a blast-engine and its cut-off with a converter, blast-connections between the engine and converter, a blastclosing valve arranged in such connections, and powerconnections for operating the out off from the converter, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 9th day of March, A. D. 1885.

JAMES P. W ITHEROXV. \Vitnesses:

XV. B. OoRwIN, THOMAS B. KERR. 

